Parkwood Spring Cleaning aka Preventive Conservation Work Part II

Reflections of Alyssa:

Since the beginning of our annual spring clean, I have had the opportunity to dabble in a few different tasks alongside the volunteers including sheer washing and silver polishing.  Then last week during reading break Samantha asked Mariah & I to come in for ceiling and chandelier cleaning. The scaffolding arrived on Monday and we set out to not only clean but explore a part of the house we never get close enough to. Now I have cleaned quite a few different places in the estate but this was my first scaffolding experience. With that comes my first time up close and personal with all the details so naturally I had questions. And if you know me, you know that is nothing new. Questions are my favourite

 

 
Once the first section of the hallway was done we had created a flow and rotation of the instruments. First we used the longer brush to dust the surface than the smaller brush to get at the detailing in the ceiling. The Q-tips were for cocoons or smaller spaces that we thought needed a bit more attention. The last part of our process was the sponge that picked up dust and dirt from the flat surfaces. We started by the front door of the mansion cleaning all the corners, tops of the door ways and chandeliers ending in the dining room.

Like I said above this was my first scaffolding experience and I would have to say it was an interesting one. Usually when I do things over and over again I begin to feel more comfortable with it, but I found working on that scaffolding a bit more difficult to adjust to. Feeling this way lead to discussing it with my cleaning partners which lead to all sorts of questions, naturally! First off, 80 years ago who would have been doing this job? How would they have reached these high parts of the mansion? Would it have been a man or a women up on, say a ladder? What would they have been wearing? Ladders and dresses sure would not have mixed 80 years ago and would have made the job quite difficult. Although dusting would have been the housekeepers job, something like the chandeliers would have been done by a household valet or maintenance man.

The Integrated Pest Management program is a very important aspect to the preservation of Parkwood. Pest management means putting out phermone traps and keeping track of the insects that may have made their way into the mansion. If insects are found than they are dealt with by our Curator. To be honest this job can be a bit overwhelming sometimes with 15, 000 square feet of heritage to cover. It may not seem like a huge deal to have a few insects hanging around, but in reality certain types can do a lot of damage to the collection of artifacts because they will eat wood, wool, leather and even sizing (ink). Whenever a project like this is happening pests are always on our minds. Prior to the beginning we had discussed the fact that we may come across cocoons or spider webs. I was expecting to find more cocoons in the areas we were cleaning but we only found three. While removing dust from the chandeliers we started to find a few lady bugs and than I realized that they were not all lady bugs but actually a form of beetle which is called “varied carpet beetle”. All the insects were dead, but the larvae stage is when they do the most damage. This raised further concern since we dealt with a carpet beetle issue in the Billiard Room several years ago.

 

One of my favourite things about Parkwood Estate is that there is always something “new” to discover if you just take the time to see it. On a regular basis I find things I have not noticed before and always end up discussing it with my colleagues. What was so great about being up on the scaffolding was that I was able to explore a whole different section of the house. Details that I had not seen before because they were either too small or hidden. My favourite discovery was the detail in the hallway that was hidden in a crevice that connected the front hall to the side hall. The only way I noticed it was when I stuck my head in crevice to do some dusting. It fascinates me that an area not on display would be decorated like the rest of the hallway. So much time and effort went into this section of the hallway that no one really gets to see, now why would anyone do that? Was it originally built that way or did the McLaughlins' add to it as time went by?

Another interesting part of the hallway is the mural, the Enchanted Wood, by Fredrick Challener. If you have been to Parkwood you know exactly what I am talking about. It has a few family members in the main panels but all around the room is nature, animals and LOTS of birds. Well when we were cleaning the tops of the door way leading into the serving galley we noticed birds that live behind the exit sign.  Finding detail like this is what makes these mundane jobs much more fun.

A few more photos show parts of the dining room ceiling that are absolutely beautiful but no one ever gets close enough to really appreciate it. For example, the trim around the room that is attached to the silk damask covering the walls. From a standing position we notice it is a gold colour trim but when you get closer you begin to see the intricate work that was put into the creation of it.

Throughout this whole process I have not only cleaned and dusted but I had the opportunity to explore a new section of my favourite National Historic Site. With this process also comes the responsibility of protecting the artifacts and the estate itself including walls and doors. The moving and positioning of tthe scaffold could we had to be wary not only for our safety, but also  for the safety of the Estate. Being close to the silk damask walls or the mural in the hallway or even the paintings in the dining room means you have to be very careful, it’s not just a quick and easy dusting duties.  

Mariah spending time with RSM

Additional commentary from Samantha: Alyssa has been working at Parkwood NHS for the last few years in a variety of capacities, most recently as a preventive conservation tech or housekeeper in lay terms, although our housekeeping is very different from what one would define as housekeeping. She is able to reflect on some of the general preventive practices that she does routinely, integrated pest management, monitoring relative humidity and lux levels in terms of light and light damage on textiles while working away on the ceiling and chandeliers.  I am able to comment on her statement that she loves asking questions, which is a genuinely superb attribute since she is a sponge absorbing information.